Wrench.



J. G. SPARKS.

WRENCH. APPLICATION FILED 1130.48, 1908.

Patented Apr-.20, 1909.

with zones 5 JOHN CLARENCE sP RKsoF GEORGETOWN, SOUTH CAROLINA.

wnnncn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 20, 1909.

App1icati0n filed December 18, 1908. Serial No. 468,201.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J ornv OLARnNon SPARKS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Georgetown, in the county of George'- town and Stateof South Carolina, have 111- vented a new and useful Wrench, of whichthe following is a specificati This invention relates to wrench es andhas for its object to provide a simple, strong, and

compact wrench provided with a plurality of independent jaw plates, eachhaving thereon a pair of jaws differing in spread or shape from theother jaws.

Another object is toprovide a handle, to which any of the jaws may beremovably so cured, and to further'provide a locking member disposedwithin saidhandle and adapted to be operated to engage one of aplurality of recesses formed in the jaw plate, whereby the latter may beadjusted and yieldingly held'in adjusted position at any angle.

Another object is to provide a positive keeper which may be operated topermanently hold the lockingmember in engagement with a recess in thejaw plate. I

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafterappear, the resent invention consists in certain nove details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointedout'in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes inthe form, proportion, size and minor details of the device may be madewithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof the invention In the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification :-Figure 1 is a front elevation of the invention. Fig. 2is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 31

is a detail section of the keeper. Fig. 4. is a front elevation of amodified form of jaw plate.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to designate correspondingparts throughout. a

In carrying out the invention I provide a suitable handle to one end ofwhich is pivoted a suitable jaw plate. The latter may be turned on itspivot so as to occupya position on either side of the handle. The latteris interiorly provided with a reciprocate ing plunger, the nose of whichentersa recess formed in that end of the'handle adjacent the jaw plate,and is adapted when moved to enter one of a series of recesses formedinthe jaw plate, whereby the latter is rigidly held in whatever positionit may occupy on either side of-the handle. A suitable operating leveris provided for the plun- .ger and is pivoted to the handle in suchmanner that when the latter is pressed in the natural way for tighteninga nut, the lever will also be depressed and by means of a connectionbetween the latter and the plunger, the plunger will be forced intoengagement with the recess of the jaw plate.

The handle consists of'four parts, namely, a rib l which may be of anysuitable length, preferably of metal, and having a laterally curvedportion 2 at one end. That portion of the rib extending from thelaterally curved end 2 is slightly inclined or flexed. The rib forms'asupport for a pair of handle plates 3 and 4. Each of these members isconsiderably greater in length than the rib and are suitably secured onopposite sides of the latter." The lower end of each plate is A roundedto the shape of the curved portion 2 from the curved end of the rib 2 isconcaved,

as shown at 6, and in the center of this concaved face is formed aninwardly extending opening communicating with the space between the sideplates 3 and 4..

A jaw plate in the present instance, is shown to be formed of a flatpiece of metal sufficiently thick for the work to be performed by it.The body portion 7 of the jaw plate has a semi-circular outline indentedthroughout with notches or recesses 8. The jaws 9 project outwardly fromthe body portion 7 and are spaced to fit the work on which the Wrenchisto be used, the intention being to have a plurality of jaw plates foreach handle. The body portion 7 of the jaw plate is designed to enterthe space between the free end portions of the handle plates 3 and {handa central opening 10 is formed in the I will be seen that when theoperating lever is ing formed in the center of the bridge 5, and

their original positions, or in other words,

each of the handle plates 3 and 4. Thus 1 when the openings are inalinemcnt, a suitable pivot bolt 11 is inserted to hold the partstogether. From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided ahandle having a freely movable jaw plate, the jaws of which may beturned to operative position on either side of the handle.

In order to secure the jaw plate in its adjusted positions, thefollowing mechanism is em loyed:By referring now to Fig. 2, it wil beseen that between the body portion of the handle plates 3 and 4 is aplunger rod 12, one end of which extends through the openthe oppositeend of which is provided with a head 13, the faceof which has a slightlydepressed cam surface. An operating lever 14, preferably of a singlepiece of metal, has one end pivoted between the handle plates 3 and 4adjacent the bridge 5. The operating lever is formed to the shape of therib 1, and at its free end is curved laterally similar to the curvedportion 2 of the rib, and in the end of this curved portion a suitabledetent 15 is fQlmed, into which projects the terminal of the curvedportion 2 of the rib. Thus it secured in place, as shown in Fig. 2, itsfree end will be held from moving out of the space between the sideplates 3 and 4, by means of the walls of the detent abutting against theterminal of the curved portion 2 of the rib. The detent is so formedthat the operating lever is permitted to project beyond one side of thehandle plates 3 and 4 for a distance equal to one-half its width, orsubstantially so so that when the handle is grasped by the operator inthe act of tightening the nut, the pressure on the handle will force theouter side of the operating lever inward to a position substantiallycoincident with the sides of the handle plates. Operative connectionbetween the operating lever and plunger head 13 is formed by means of acam stud 16. This member is substantially egg-shaped in outline and hasits narrow end pivoted between the handle plates 3 and 4 adjacent thecurved face of the rib2. The stud is so positioned that the oppositesides of its widened end will bear on the cam surface of the head 13,and the laterally curved end portion of the operating lever 14. Thus itcan be seen that when the latter is depressed, the stud, while bearingagainst the cam surface of the head 13, will force the end of theplunger rod out of the opening in the bridge 5 and into the spacebetween the free end portions of the handle plates and into one of therecesses 8 of the jaw plate.

In order that the parts maybe returned to that the free end of theplunger may leave the recess in the jaw plate when the pressure on thelever bar 14 is removed, a suitable coiled spring 17 is employed. Thismember surrounds the body portion of the plunger rod 12 and has itsterminals bearing on the inner face of the bridge 5 and plunger head 13.the wrench may be operated similar to a ratchet and the final tighteningturns given to a nut without removing the jaws therefrom.

In order that the operating lever may he. s,

k6 t depressed and. the end of the plunger he (1 within one of therecesses S of the jaw plate at all times, the following device isemployed:By referring now to Fig. 2 it will be seen that adjacent thepivoted end of the operating lever, the latter is reduced somewhat inwidth, or in other words, an oblong recess is formed in its inner side.On that end of the recess remote from the pivotal point of the lever alongitudinally disposed seat 18 is formed, and in one of the handleplates a longitudinal slot 19 is formed, which is adapted to registerwith the seat 18 when the lever is pressed to the limit of its inwardmovement. The length of the slot 19 is somewhat greater than the lengthof the seat 18, and that end of the former adjacent the pivotal point ofthe lever 14 lies considerably in advance of that end of the recess inwhich the seat 18 is formed. A keeper in the present instance is shownto consist of a bolt 20 loosely fitted within the slot 19, and having onits outer end a bowed spring 21, which bears on the outer surface of thehandle plate in which the slot 19 is formed. The shank of the bolt 20 isprovided with a shoulder 22 which bears on the inner face of the handleplate and pre vents the bolt from falling out. Thus it will be seen thatwhen the lever 14 is depressed and the bolt 20 moved into the seat 18,the lever will be prevented from returning to its normal position whenpressure is removed. The bowed spring 21 serves the double pur pose ofpreventing the bolt 20 from falling inward and holding the bolt at thatend of the slot remote from the seat 18.

The modified form of jaw plate shown in Fig. 4 is similar to thatalready described, with the exception that it is provided with a pair ofangularly disposed jaws 23 and 24, one of which has a roughened surface,shown at 25.

From the foregoing, the operation of the device will be readilyunderstood, and it will be seen that I have provided a wrench which issimple in structure and adjustable to most any desired angle.

What is claimed is 1. In a wrench the combination with the handle of arecessed jaw plate pivoted to one Thus it will be seen, that whendesired,

forced into engagement with the recessed jaw plate, and a keeperslid-ably mounted in the handle and being arranged to register, in

the seat, whereby the plunger will be held in 5 engagement with therecessed jaw plate.

2. In a wrench the combination witha handle of a recessed jaw platepivoted to one end thereof, a plun er to engage said jaw plate, anoperating ever for actuating the 0 plunger, the said lever beingprovided with a seat, and a keeper slidably mounted in the handle andbeing arranged to register in the seat, whereby the plunger will be heldin engagement with the recessed jaw plate.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 15 my own, I have heretoaflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN CLARENCE SPARKS.

